Sony, LG squash patent disputes

Sony Corp and LG Electronics announced early on Thursday that the companies have moved to resolve patent disputes over products ranging from Smartphones to Blu-ray players. "LG and Sony recently agreed to drop patent infringement lawsuits against each other," a spokeswoman at South Korea's LG Electronics said.

Both companies have clashed in the United States and the European Union in recent years sine failing to renew a technology sharing agreement. Sony filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) that sought a ban on the import of LG smartphones, such as the Rumor Touch.

In March this year, an LG complaint against Sony resulted in the seizure of PlayStation 3 (PS3) consoles by customers officers in the Netherlands. LG also told the ITC in the United States that Sony's PS3 violated patents related to the Blu-ray Disc technology.

Sony offered no public comment on the resolution of the global patent fight.